Sun shines brighter here *Editing*

I'm a vagabond globe-trotting for knowledge

That night after the party, I settled into my blue duvet and turned my phone on. It was a little short of 1 am.

I tossed from one side to another. My stuffed ratty animals were lined at the foot of my bed and stared right at me,their eyes glassy at the moonlight. It reminded me of home,an owl called from the oak tree just outside my window. I stared at the branches. It reminded of the huge peepal tree in front of my room back at India, the tree which I'd used to sneak out to all those mid-night drives with the my friends and the same tree Ronak used to break into my bedroom. Suddenly I jolted up with a start. The window was wide open. A sulking figure stood there.

"Did you think it'd be that easy to get rid of me?" his voice said.

Even though he was in his shadows, I recognized him immediately.

"Ronak?" I whispered, the name barely escaping my mouth.

I scrambled back against the headboard, but it was too late. Ronak launched forward, his hands closing around my neck, his lips inches from mine.

"You betrayed me,Aria" he whispered, his hands tightening around my throat. His bottom lips gazed mine. I tried to push him away but he was too strong. I screeched but barely a word came out when I almost gave up..

"Goodbye,Aria" Ronak sneered. His hands squeezed and squeezed..the tune of One Repulic's 'Secrets' played along.....

Suddenly, I shot up in my bed.

The same One Republic song blared in my ears. I looked around, took me a while to recognize I was in my New York appartment's bed, my sheets clinging to my wet skin. Sunlight beamed through the bay window....I touched my neck but I dint feel any evidence that I had been strangled. My skin felt smooth. Nothing hurt.

It was a fucking dream and that's about it. My fingers trembled as I switched off the alarm that was vibrating. It flashed a 8.05

I glanced around the room once more. My Laptop screen glowed with familiar images of My friends from India and me. This particular one was taken after a Cricket team victory. A big fat book on American constitution lay open on my desk along with a small book of Russian poetry.

Trng trng

I jumped and turned around, realizing it was my phone. I dove for it and checked the screen. It was Rachel on Viber. Clearing my throat I pressed the green answer button.

"Hii..everything okay?"

"Of course, everything's fine" she croaked. "I just came back from the police station,I presumed you've heard what happened..."

"Yes. I'm sorry, if there's anything I can do..."

She cut me off. " Sure, how's NYU?"

"it's amazi..." There was a loud knock on the door followed by a kick. I knew it was Emily. "Can you hold on?" I reached out to the door and Emily stood there in a long halter top and zipper pants with a brown sling Bag on her left sholder. "Ready to leave?" She asked before examining me.

"Hey, listen I have to run,I'll talk to you after class. Don't worry about Ronak,okay?" I whispered into the phone and hung up,returning to Emily who was giving me the-get-ready-soon look.

"Give me 15 minutes" I said and quickly ran for a shower and then I wore a pair of light blue ripped jeans and a dark grey loose blouse and threw a few stationary and my laptop into my handbag.I grabbed my phone and walked out of my room. Emily was quitely eating her breakfast and staring at the glossy pages of some obnoxious fashion magazine. "Breakfast is on the table. Hope you like french toast" she said as I walked in.

"Well,not like I have a choice" I teased and sat next to her eating my french toast. "So,you din't tell me what happened last night..you know after I left"

She blushed and shut the magazine,it was Vogue. Like what were the odds?

She turned towards me and told me that she and Lyntonn hit it off really well last night,he wants to take her out tommorow and she wanted to borrow my jumkas* (they're a type of indian accessory). I told her where it was and both of us walked out of the appartment shutting the door behind. We reached the lobby and parted ways.I walked over to my class,first up was American taxation after that followed a number of classes.

I was exhausted by dusk. The moonlight shimmered in the dusky sky. I took a stroll around the campus,consuming in the heavy summer air that surrounded the city.

By evening,the enitre city illuminated in the night sky. It was such a pretty sight.

trng trng

My phone buzzed through my jeans pocket.

"Hello?" I said keeping the phone closer to my ear.

"Hi,Dan here"

"Oh,Hi! I din't see you in class today,everything all right?"

"Yeah,I'm in St.Louis for the week,my sister's in labour,she's due this weekend"

"You din't tell me you had a sister, oh my God, you're going to be an Uncle " I squeaked.

"Yeah, yeah,whatever. So what did I miss out in class?"

"You mean other than the aneroxic blonde showing up drunk and puking on Aaron and the japanese guy with bad hair busting out into tears because he missed home in the middle of International Tax law 101?"

"Ha ha ha! Our batch is like a United colours benntton add, we've got people from all corners of the world"

"I Second that. I'll Email you the assignments for this week"

"Sure. So how's America treating you?"

"Quite frankly, it's been really good. I thought I'll just be this sad, Indian girl sitting at the corner of the class all by myself "

"So you're enjoying being here?"

"Yeah,I came here for an adventure,admist these boring lectures and pending assignments,I'll find one as I settle down. My life is meaningless without adventures. My body dosen't adjust to dull,slow-paced sorroundings which is why I'd love New York City. It's like I'm filled with this infinite deal of restlessness mixed with thirst for learning. I'm like a vagabond globe-trotting extrovert who is fascinated a little too much by World history. Dusk by Dusk,I'm falling in love with the city,I mean what's not to love? It's glitzy, glamorous and still restores it's cultural heritage through the impeccable sense of architecure"

"The traveller sees what he sees,the tourist sees what he's come to see,which one are you?"

"None,I'm an observer. This land is not foreign to me,I'm foreign to this land,I'd go wherever the wind takes me"

"Everytime I talk to you,I learn something new about you" He said.

"I feel guilty saying the feeling isn't mutual, maybe it's because I'm always talking"

"Well for starters,I'm a self-proclaimed narcissist and that's all you need to know"

"Too bad, Narcissists are the worst" I said teasingly.

"I'd love to listen to you rant about NYC but i have to run,bye,A"

"It's Aria,dude"

" I know but as you would put it "I'm an American asshole who can't spell your name right!", so A it is!"

"American asshole!" I say teasingly and hang up.

************